GAMUT (from the

See also:

• GREEK
• GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND

Greek

See also:

• LETTER (through Fr. lettre from Lat. littera or litera, letter of the alphabet; the origin of the Latin word is obscure; it has probably no connexion with the root of linere, to smear, i.e. with wax, for an inscription with a stilus)

letter

See also:

• GAMMA

gamma, used as a musical

See also:

• SYMBOL (Gr. o-uµ(3oXov, a sign)

symbol, and ut, the first syllable of the

See also:

• MEDIEVAL

medieval hymn Sanctus Johannes)  , a term in music used to mean generally the whole compass or range of notes possessed by an instrument or voice . Historically, however, the sense has developed from its stricter musical meaning of a scale (the recognized musical scale of any period), originating in the medieval " great scale," of which the invention has usually been ascribed to Guido of Arezzo (q.v.) in the 11th century . The whole question is somewhat obscure, but, in the evolution of musical notation out of the classical alphabetical system, the invention of the medieval gamut is more properly assigned to Hucbald (d . 930) . In his system of scales the semitone was always between the 2nd and 3rd of a tetrachord, as G, A, 5 B, C, so the B and jr F of the second octave were in false relation to the b B and ; F of the first two tetrachords .